Fortin charged with sex assault from 1988
Turns self in, does not know details of charge
The military officer who led Canada’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout surrendered himself to a police station in Gatineau, Que., on Wednesday morning to be charged with sexual assault.
Maj.-gen. Dany Fortin, dressed in his military uniform and accompanied by his wife, told waiting reporters that the arrest took him by surprise.
He said he does not know the details of the allegation against him, despite repeated requests from his legal team. The arrest warrant was issued on Monday.
“For the past three months, my family and I have been living this nightmare of having no official information on the allegation, or the investigation, or any potential charges,” Fortin said. “My legal team has repeatedly — repeatedly — contacted prosecutors to seek any information with no success. So I’ve been forced to read much about me in media, with no ability to defend my name.”
Fortin’s lawyers have said the only information provided to them is that the charge relates to an alleged incident from 1988.
The senior military officer, who has previously served in Afghanistan and Iraq, described the past three months as the most challenging period of his 36 years in uniform.
“This fight against an invisible foe has been the hardest of my career,” he said. “I look forward to continuing to serve Canadians, to serve my country, as soon as this legal issue is resolved.”
Fortin was abruptly removed from his post at the Public Health Agency of Canada on May 14 after leading the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines across the country.
The Canadian Forces National Investigation Service later referred an allegation of sexual misconduct against him to the Quebec prosecution service to determine whether charges should be laid.
Fortin has asked the Federal Court to review his removal, alleging in a sworn affidavit political interference by the Liberal government. He is asking for reinstatement to his position at PHAC, or a similar post.
The military officer said Wednesday he is paying his own legal costs for the criminal and Federal Court actions.
The government has declined to comment.
“I was told then (in May) that I was under investigation for some form of sexual misconduct alleged to have occurred more than 30 years ago,” Fortin said. “I learned about the general nature of the allegation from a reporter who knocked on my door shortly after I was relieved of my job.”
Fortin’s wife, Madeleine Collin, and a member of his legal team, lawyer Philippe Morneau, accompanied him to the police station.
Morneau echoed his client’s concerns about a lack of transparency on the part of the prosecution.
“I understand that all of you here might have many questions for us today,” Morneau said. “We ourselves have many questions that have yet to be answered.”
Describing it as a fight against an “invisible foe,” Fortin expressed confidence that he would return to his post.
“I look forward to continue serving my country as soon as this legal matter is resolved,” he said.
The charge is for an offence under section 271a of the criminal code, Fortin’s lawyer said. A conviction for an offence against an adult could result in as many as 10 years in prison.
He is scheduled to appear at the Gatineau courthouse on Sept. 20 for an arraignment.
One of Fortin’s lawyers has raised questions about the timing of the decision to charge her client, which comes days after Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau launched an election.
The Liberals have been criticized for months for not doing more to address sexual misconduct in the Canadian military.
Fortin’s lawyers have argued in Federal Court that the decision to remove their client was unreasonable, lacked procedural fairness and involved improper political interference in the military chain of command by the prime minister, Health Minister Patty Hajdu, Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan and the clerk of the Privy Council.
The government is required to respond to those allegations on Sept. 17, three days before voters head to the polls.
“The timing of the charge raises questions,” Natalia Rodriguez told The Canadian Press on Tuesday.
“We’ll be looking at answering those questions and making sure this is not politically motivated and that it is above board. As Maj.-gen. Fortin’s lawyers, we have a duty to ensure that there’s been no improper political interference in this case.
WE’LL BE LOOKING AT ANSWERING THOSE QUESTIONS AND MAKING SURE THIS IS NOT POLITICALLY MOTIVATED.